


Vanquishing the dark

by bgn846



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Caretaking, Gladio makes him feel better, Gladnis, Grief/Mourning, Hugging, Ignis has a hard time, M/M, Post-World of Ruin, Sick Character, Sickfic, Sleepy Cuddles, Spoilers, dealing with death, gladio takes care of ignis, grief is a hard thing to deal with, people talk about their feelings, the sun came up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-14
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-08-23 13:37:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16620032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bgn846/pseuds/bgn846
Summary: The sun has come up but the king is gone.  Those left behind to pick up the pieces and rebuild are left dealing with grief.  Ignis becomes so distraught he makes himself sick and Gladio steps in to care for his long time friend.





	Vanquishing the dark

**Author's Note:**

> Had a suggestion to write a sicfic with Gladio taking care of Iggy. My head instantly decided that battling grief would be a believable way for Ignis to become ill. Then the rest of this angsty monster was constructed. I had a death in the family recently so I have included more of my views on death in the story than I would have normally. So please just ignore my opinions if they don't jive with yours and enjoy the other parts of the story. Otherwise this is just a angst filled fluffy story about Gladio taking care of Iggy.

Gladio couldn’t say he was surprised, with the level of stress they had all been under this was bound to happen.  Hoping the situation wasn’t as serious as he suspected Gladio followed the new crownsguard recruit that had summoned him.  The recruit, a kid no older than fifteen at most, seemed plucky enough considering the circumstances. 

Guess the kid’s dream was to be in the guard and now he finally had his wish.  Never mind the fact that the guard had nothing left to protect except the citizens of this once great city. Trying to not get distracted by the kids tattered uniform that clearly had been scavenged from somewhere or someone, Gladio trailed behind.

The citadel was a hodgepodge of relatively untouched spaces and others that seemed to have been ransacked with deliberate intent.  It was one of these destroyed areas that the recruit pointed to and stopped waiting for further instruction. 

“I can take it from here, why don’t you go see if they need help at the main entrance.”

“Yes Sir Lord Amicitia!  I’m happy to help!” The recruit announced with a lopsided grin. 

Gladio had to work hard to hide his grimace at being addressed in such a fashion.  That was his father’s title not his, but they had finally been able to properly lay the man to rest not three days before with the first dawn.  The memories were ten years old but the pain was fresh. He focused on calming the nerves that seemed to be begging to fray apart. 

Waiting until the guard was out of sight Gladio took a deep breath and entered the hallway looking for Ignis.  He could hear the sounds of retching before he spotted Ignis’ hunched form near the end of the corridor amidst the debris.

Approaching slowly he announced his presence in case Ignis hadn’t recognized his heavy step.  “Ignis… I’m coming over to you.  O.K.”

There was no reply. 

The former advisor was on his hands and knees leaning into the wall and gasping for breath. 

Kneeling on the floor Gladio slowly extended his hand and started rubbing Ignis’ back.  The darkness had done a number on their relationship. They managed to technically stay together, but that usually meant having to get away from each other for weeks on end to escape the memories.  Gladio had a small sense of hope that with the return of the sun they would all be able to move forward and heal.

“I know you didn’t like councilman Retris that much but that’s no reason to lose the contents of your stomach at his office door.”

This at least got a small chuckle out of Ignis. “I can still find that horrible little man’s office even without my sight.”  

“You can do quite a lot without your sight, and don’t ever forget it.”  Gladio added with conviction. 

“Mmm… I am aware.” Ignis stopped and covered his mouth looking as if he might try and deface the office entrance once more. 

“Come on, let’s get you up to the shoebox.”

Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto had taken to calling their shared room the shoebox for obvious reasons.  Due to the unknown state of disarray that most of Insomnia was in, housing had been a concern with the sudden influx of people.  The government wished to take care of their own without straining the newly restarted infrastructure.  So the idea of housing officers in the towers at the citadel was agreed upon.  Most of the office floors had a single shower stall in the restroom along with a fully equipped breakroom so temporary communal living was possible.

One bizarre perk of this odd arrangement was hot water, scalding hot water.  After almost ten years without a good ole hot shower it was pure heaven to nearly burn a layer of skin off each night.  The citadel it seemed had been one of the first complexes to receive such a benefit.

Ignis’ office was somehow spared the destruction of others and left mostly untouched.  One theory is that the empire had never located his office due to the fact it was not labeled for security reasons.  Prompto had taken the initiative and cleaned the man’s office and scavenged around for as many random sofa cushions, blankets, and pillows as he could find.

The end result was a fairly good attempt at a studio apartment.  Ignis’ desk had been pushed to the center of the space as a visual barrier to conceal the makeshift beds that sat on the floor underneath one of the two windows in the room.  The other side held the sofa and small conference table.  Aside from the actual breakroom and showers being down the hall it worked well.

The three of them had been granted the whole floor as their own the day the sun had risen.  Not surprisingly all of them ended up sitting on the floor of Ignis’ office in an ungainly hug fest.  The pain was too fresh; they needed to be close to not go mad.  Similar to when the fated road trip had started so many years ago they opted to stay together and camp as it were.

Not wanting to waste any more time in the hallway Gladio gingerly pulled Ignis towards him and lifted his arm over his shoulder. “Tell me to stop if you need to cough your cookies again. Kay?”

“Will do…”      

The second Ignis’ body was pressing against Gladio’s side he could feel the heat emanating from him.  Damn, the advisor was getting a fever. 

Going for the stairs out of habit Gladio stopped himself right as he had shifted his weight into the door to open it.  The elevator had been fixed.  They had power in this building.  It was still unnerving to voluntarily get into a small metal death trap—box.   Ignis was far too gone to notice the elevator ride.  Thankfully it was only up five floors, an easy walk if they needed to make it.

 

* * *

 

Hearing Prompto’s worried tone quietly carrying across the office brought Ignis out from his fitful slumber.  Memories of being held up in the shower and dressed filtered around in his head.  Gladio’s gentle touches and soft words whispered in Ignis’ ear had relaxed his troubled mind allowing him to attempt to sleep. 

Struggling to gain clarity Ignis focused harder to hear the words being said.  Prompto was concerned about someone.  Then he heard his name.  The blonde gunner was worried about him.  Making an effort to sit up only brought an overpowering wave of dizziness so intense that Ignis whimpered and fell back into the bedding. 

“Iggy!  Are you okay? I’m sorry… I’m so sorry!”  Prompto blurted as he ran over to be next to Ignis.

“Sunshine, don’t beat yourself up.  Iggy’s got super hearing remember.” Gladio added.

Attempting to speak Ignis rasped out a few words.  “It’s no trouble… what happened?”

“You made yourself sick.  You need to relax or you’ll just make it worse.”

Ignis couldn’t help what happened next, he’d been able to keep his emotions in check for four solid days.  Not a record by any means but he’d already heard Prompto sobbing uncontrollably during the first few days of light.  He and Gladio had consoled him as best as they could and it seemed to help.  However there was no logical explanation as to why Ignis wouldn’t listen to his own advice to the blonde.  

Their beloved Noctis was gone and he was unable to come to terms with that fact.  Waiting for ten years only to never find another way of winning the war against the darkness and losing his king was heartbreaking. 

It was his turn, he reasoned, to lose his shit.  Judging by the shocked yelps from Gladio and Prompto after he yelled at the top of his lungs they weren’t expecting it either.  It felt damn good to just scream.  Then the tears came next, granted only out of one side of his face but Ignis still felt the pent up energy slowly draining out of his tired body. 

Ignis wasn’t sure if he was yelling words or not, he became slightly unstable for a bit so figuring that out was difficult.  Ignis’ remaining waking moments where filled with warmth and love.  Gladio had instantly crawled on the bed and pulled Ignis into his arms, hugging the advisor with all his might.  Surprisingly the shield encouraged Ignis to let loose and yell or cry if he wanted. 

Feeling cold fingers on his calf Ignis realized that Prompto had sat down on the foot of the bedding and was hugging his legs.  Reaching out a hand Ignis was able to find Prompto’s soft head of hair and lightly grab hold.

“I – I—can’t do this…” Ignis finally choked out. 

“I won’t let you sink Ignis, not like this.  You have weathered all obstacles thrown at you and this is just another one to beat.” 

“I couldn’t save him!”

Gladio sighed loudly and tried again.  “You did save him; you helped him become the king he was always meant to be.”

Ignis felt the grip on his legs get tighter and he barely registered the shaking feeling that had started.  Prompto was most likely about to cry or already was.  The poor sweet soul didn’t deserve to be distressed over Ignis’ melt down. 

“But he’s not here with us.  I failed.”

“You didn’t fail.  None of us did.  I will continue to tell you that for as long as I live Ignis.”

Blessedly Ignis’ brain decided to grab hold of that nugget of information and give him temporary relief. Being enveloped by the strong, warm arms of one of his best friends helped ease the pain and for a split second he thought he might be able to move forward.  The tears ceased and the shaking subsided and utter exhaustion took its place. 

 

* * *

 

 

Gladio felt Ignis’ body go limp in his hold, it was a relief, he’d finally passed out.  “Prompto, can you help me get him situated better on the bed?”

The blonde didn’t say anything but slowly sat up and wiped the tears away from his freckled face.  Gladio could already tell a difference in the young man’s complexion, only after a few days the sun was darkening his freckles.

“Everything is going to be okay right?  I mean… without him?” Prompto asked nervously.

“Do you mean in the infinite sense of things or just Insomnia and rebuilding?”   

“Uh… I guess… the rebuilding?” The gunner didn’t sound too sure but it seemed to distract him to have to think about it that way.

“Yes, everything will work out.” Gladio paused and added after a moment.  “The answer was yes to both of those scenarios by the way, so don’t freak out on me.” He added with a grin.

“I’m doing better; honestly it’s comforting to know that Iggy is having a hard time too.  I didn’t want to be the only one.”

“Well you can add me to that list as well kiddo, I show my emotions differently than you but believe me I’m feeling a weight.”  Gladio sighed heavily when he looked over at Ignis. “I know he will get through this but it’s still so hard.  What time is your shift I may need to change my hours so that one of us is here with Ignis.”

“I was actually thinking of taking your responsibilities for the next couple of days.  I’m sure the marshal would understand.”

Prompto was kind enough to go grab some food from where a cafeteria had been setup down near the main entrance.   Gladio would at least not have to worry about cooking right now.  Ignis had made himself sick from grief.  There wasn’t much to be done aside from make him comfortable and try and talk some reason into the man.  They couldn’t change what had happened it was prophesied, that’s a tough nut to crack. 

Eating and settling down next to Ingis brought an overwhelming sense of fatigue and Gladio couldn’t fight it anymore.  He didn’t dream that night thankfully.  Recent events had provided enough vivid memories to last a lifetime.  He didn’t need to see them when he slept. 

 

* * *

 

 

Pained groaning woke the shield at some late hour of the night.  The sky through the window was cloudy and provided no sense of time.  Waking up more Gladio realized that Ignis was covered in sweat and writhing around on the bed in discomfort.  Trying to rouse the advisor wasn’t working and Gladio barely had enough time to lift Ignis up and thrust a nearby trashcan under his chin. 

Looking around for Prompto Gladio realized he must have gone out to do a night shift.  A quick check of his text messages confirmed this.  Good, poor Prompto didn’t have to lose sleep worrying about Ignis.

The trashcan proved to be a valuable tool for at least another hour.  Ignis sat propped up against Gladio’s chest as he hugged the receptacle.  Gladio could feel Ignis’ body shaking and his bed clothes were sticking to his skin.  

Rubbing Ignis’ shoulders elicited small hums from the advisor as he struggled to catch his breath. Grabbing a bottle of water Gladio popped the cap and offered it to sick man.  Ignis managed to slowly gulp some down and sighed leaning more into Gladio’s broad chest. 

As suddenly as the bought of sickness came it left Ignis’ body.  Waiting a good ten minutes until Ignis’ head lolled against his shoulder Gladio carefully laid Ignis back down on the bed and went to clean the trashcan and get a washcloth. 

 Trudging back down the dark hallway Gladio prayed to the astrals, he needed his friend to get better.  More than that, he needed Ignis to see the truth.  To realize that all the special things about Noct that embodied his personality weren’t gone.  His body was no longer of this world but that didn’t mean he didn’t exist anymore.  Given all the events that had transpired ten years earlier Gladio had taken the long wait for Noct’s return to come to terms with most of his fears.  

However, seeing Ignis physically sick due to his emotional distress hurt more than Gladio thought it would.   The man he loved and hoped to spend the rest of his life with was beating himself up over things he had no control over.  They would have to talk again once he was lucid. 

Stepping into the office Gladio quietly kneeled down beside the bed and used the cool washcloth to wipe Ignis’ face clean.  This at least got a reaction; Ignis opened his right eye and very nearly looked at Gladio.  His aim was only off by a few inches but it still felt nice to have him try.  “Are you still feeling like hurling?”

“Mnnn…”

Raising his eyebrows and shaking his head Gladio could only guess what that meant. “I got a trashcan right over here if you do, just let me know.”

“Ahmnnnn”

“You can form words right?”

“Terrrrrible.” 

“As in I’m terrible or you feel terrible?” Gladio questioned with a hint of humor.

“Both.”  Ignis mumbled but he was smiling. 

“Try and get some more sleep.  I would feed you but I think that trashcan would end up seeing more of it than your stomach.”

“Bleeechhhhh”

Gladio outright laughed, Ignis always knew the finer points of being dramatic if he needed to be.  Gladio sat up and leaned against the wall carefully carding his fingers through Ignis’ hair to help him sleep.

The next few hours passed without incident, Ignis seemed to be able to rest peacefully and his fever died down. Not wanting to sleep until he was certain Ignis was getting better Gladio grabbed his book and tried to not focus on his heavy eyelids. 

Gladio knew he needed sleep when he started re-reading the same sentence three times.  Closing the worn volume he set it aside and checked on Ignis.  The advisor was sleeping soundly or so he thought.  Reaching out a hand to trace his cheekbone caused Ignis to sigh and lean into the touch.

“Why don’t you rest?” Ignis asked quietly.

“I wanted to make sure you were doing alright before I nodded off.” Gladio groggily replied. 

“I’m getting better, my head stopped pounding and I don’t feel like I’m on fire.”

The shield was infinitely grateful that Ignis’ fever had broken.  “You had me scared there for a bit, I don’t like to see you in pain.”

“No one wants that for their loved ones.” Ignis added thoughtfully.  “I’m glad they asked you to help me, I wasn’t in a mood to be attended to by anyone else.” 

“I’ll always be there for you, no matter what.  I love you.”

“I know, and I’m sorry I’ve been unable to deal with my emotions recently.  I’ve not been fair to you.”

“It’s ok; grief is an odd beast to handle.  It doesn’t play by the rules.”  

Ignis sighed and rolled over to be closer to Gladio. “I want to be able to move forward but… I…” He trailed off.

“Do you think he is grieving over us?” Gladio asked quickly.   “I’m sure he misses us but it’s gotta be different.  I know he’s happy and safe and we should trust that feeling.”

“I suppose death is hardest on the living.  We are left with memories and unfulfilled wishes and no way to change anything.” 

“We have to focus on the good memories and be thankful for the time we did have.  Wouldn’t he want us to be happy!?”

Ignis sighed and pressed his face harder into Gladio’s side.  “Yes, I suppose you make a valid point.” 

Gladio felt the jerk of Ignis’ shoulders before he heard the quite sobs.  “It’s okay babe let it out.  Your body is trying to make you feel better, don’t fight it.” Holding his best friend tightly by the shoulders Gladio spoke soothing words and ran fingers through sandy hair in an effort to bring peace.  After a few minutes Ignis sighed heavily and cleared his throat.  Looking down to try and interpret the silence Gladio was relieved to see a smile. 

“I love you so much Gladiolus.”

“Feeling any better?”

“Physically or mentally?”

Gladio chuckled. “Well I guess either.”

“Yes, I’m feeling better on both counts.  Please be patient I’m not going to be able to come to a new normal anytime soon, but I feel like I have some clarity now.  As it were I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Or imagine it at least.” He finished with a grin.  

“You take as long as you need, just know I’ll always be here to help you and we will get through this together.”

“Shall we try and rest now?”

Leaning down Gladio kissed the top of Ignis’ head and whispered.  “I love you more by the way.” 

It was easy to coax the advisor into drinking some more water before they both rearranged themselves on the bedding and fell fast asleep clinging to each other. 

 

* * *

 

The warmth enveloping the side of Ignis’ face wasn’t from Gladio’s body, it felt hot but pleasant.  The almost forgotten feeling of a sunburn starting.  Ignis had been so lost in his grief that the small details of their shared quarters had escaped him.  A comment by Prompto on the blinds being pulled up by Gladio with the intent to feel the sun unhindered flashed through his memory.  It was wonderful.   

The sound of a shutter clicking startled Ignis out his reverie and he lifted his head up to listen for more sounds. The ones that graced his ears next were an extremely apologetic blonde. 

“Oh.  Shit.  Sorry.  I didn’t realize you were awake. It’s just me.” Prompto blurted out. 

“No worries.  What were you taking a picture of?” Ignis inquired.

“Uh… well um…” Prompto stalled and sighed loudly.  “Well you two look really sweet and I wanted a picture.” 

“Describe the scene to me.”

“You really want me to?  I don’t want to upset you.” 

“I don’t want to be upset anymore.  I want to be happy, so please continue.”  Ignis smiled.

Prompto’s grin added to the warmth in the room as he responded. “So all our beds are on the far wall in your office and your shared bed is under the window.   Got it so far?”

Ignis nodded in agreement from his position next to Gladio.

“Gladio opened the blinds the very first day so we all could feel the sun when we woke.  The thing is right now he is wearing your visor to block out the light, I think.  That combined with you sprawled on his side is just cute looking.”

“He is normally facing the other way in the morning; I guess my clinginess last night forced his hand.”

Prompto asked hopeful.  “How are you feeling?”

“A thousand times better, thank you for doing a double shift for Gladio.”

“I don’t mind, I knew he would make you feel better.”

“Prompto uh… quick question.  What am I wearing?”

Giggling the blonde responded. “Looks like a pair of black boxers and a really worn t-shirt of Gladio’s.”

Ignis laughed at the description. It’s not something he would normally wear to bed, but considering Gladio most likely dressed him it made sense.  Working to carefully extract his limbs from the bed without waking Gladio he was able to get up.  Prompto helped guide Ignis down the hall so he could shower and refresh from such a long night. 

Gladio had helped put his mind at ease and for that Ignis was eternally grateful.  To have such a strong support group of friends at his side was a relief.  He knew he would be able to move forward.

When the shower was finished and new clothing donned Ignis felt his way out of the restroom, Prompto was waiting for him.  After assuring the blonde he could make it back on his own Prompto took his own shower and left Ignis to relax again.

Smoothing out the bedding and snuggling next to Gladio the advisor traced idle circles in his lover’s skin.  The sense of peace he felt was overwhelming he could honestly say he was happy.  Gladio’s giggling however, made him pause his doodling. 

“What are you doing to me?”

“Nothing, just having fun.”  Ignis mused.

“Think you can eat?” Gladio questioned.

“I believe I could give it a try, so long it’s not something too heavy.”

“Prompto got us some soup yesterday I’ll heat that up and we can start with that.”

Ignis waited patiently on the bed while Gladio got up and left the room to prepare food.  Prompto returned before him and collapsed on the bed.  Talking to the blonde until Gladio walked in allowed Prompto to stay awake long enough to eat. 

The speed with which the snoring started after Prompto finished eating reminded Ignis of long lost camping adventures. He was clearly exhausted and deserved rest. 

“Thank you for taking care of me.  I know I was a stubborn patient.”

“I would do it again and again no matter how much of a pain you are.” Gladio laughed.

The smile that Ignis offered to Gladio was pure and sweet, it was like a weight had been lifted and he could see the future again.    One he wanted to live in. “Could I perhaps convince you to come back to bed?”

Gladio didn’t answer verbally but practically pounced on the bed to snuggle up next to Ignis.  The warmth from Gladio’s body and the sound of his steady heartbeat allowed Ignis to fall into a restful sleep.   They were going to rebuild and the prospect of that future finally seemed bright.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Check me out on tumblr if you want. Just mostly FFXV stuff with some random dribbles. [BGN846 Blog](https://bgn846.tumblr.com/)


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